NEW powers have been given to Wycombe District Council to speed up the eviction of illegal travellers encampments across more than 100 sites in the district.

The High Court granted an injunction on Wednesday which means council officers and police can now order groups to leave much more quickly.

The areas included in the order include The Rye, Hughenden Park, Desborough Rec, and the Park and Ride at Handy Cross and other development land on the same site.

MP Steve Baker tweeted from Hazlemere earlier, complaining of the mess, which includes an abandoned caravan.

WDC deputy leader Dominic Barnes said people in Wycombe had been ‘rightly enraged by the anti-social behaviour’ seen during several encampments in the last few weeks.

Yesterday, police arrived at Wooburn Green park and caravans were later seen being towed away and impounded.

Bucks Free Press:

Travellers have set up camp on The Rye, Hughenden Park, Desborough Road recreation ground and in Booker Common in the last month.

Council Leader Cllr Katrina Wood said: “This injunction will enable us to be far more effective in tackling unwelcome incursions on key council-owned open spaces and car parks throughout the district.

“There was a long process involved in achieving the injunction. But now that it has been granted by the High Court we can avoid the situation we had over the last few weeks when a traveller group moved from one local park to another.”

Bucks Free Press:

Travellers on the Rye last month

The order is currently being posted up at the 101 sites and a copy with the supporting papers will be available on the website.

Cllr Julia Adey, Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “We have placed high priority on clean-ups and sent in a team very swiftly each time an unauthorised encampment has been moved on.

“This result should spare residents from the mess left behind, reduce the cost of clean-ups and free up the waste team to do their normal jobs.”

The scene yesterday in Wooburn Green 

On the first occasion of any unauthorised encampment on a site covered by the injunction it will constitute a breach of the order and the following steps will have to be taken: • A writ of assistance will be obtained from the High Court.

• The writ lasts the length of the order and requires the police to assist with the removal if necessary.

• At the same time as the writ is being prepared, a welfare assessment will be carried out as usual by Bucks County Council’s Gypsy and Traveller Service.

• Assuming no reason to permit the occupation to remain, the writ is presented to the occupiers and they are told to vacate within two hours.

• Those who don’t are told they have to leave or there will be forced removal.

Sites not included in the injunction will be covered by the usual legal process via the Bucks Gypsy and Traveller Service.

Cllr Barnes added that the delays in evicting travellers had been ‘frustrating’ but that the new powers will allow them to act ‘within hours’.

The eviction powers are dependent on no ‘welfare issues’ being identified in any encampment..